Fast vs Mercurial - What's the difference?
Fast | mercurial | Synonyms |
(dated) Firmly or securely fixed in place; stable.
Firm against attack; fortified by nature or art; impregnable; strong.
* Spenser
(of people) Steadfast, with unwavering feeling. (Now only in set phrases like "fast friend".)
Moving with great speed, or capable of doing so; swift, rapid.
(computing, of a piece of hardware) Able to transfer data in a short period of time.
Deep or sound (of sleep); fast asleep (of people).
* Shakespeare
(of dyes or colours) Not running or fading when subjected to detrimental conditions such as wetness or intense light; permanent.
(obsolete) Tenacious; retentive.
* Francis Bacon
(colloquial) Having an extravagant lifestyle or immoral habits.
Ahead of the correct time or schedule.
(of photographic film) More sensitive to light than average.
In a firm or secure manner, securely; in such a way as not to be moved .
(of sleeping) Deeply or soundly .
Immediately following in place or time; close, very near .
Quickly, with great speed; within a short time .
* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-17, volume=408, issue=8849, magazine=(The Economist)
, title= Ahead of the correct time or schedule.
(British, rail transport) A train that calls at only some stations it passes between its origin and destination, typically just the principal stations
(archery) Short for "stand fast", a warning not to pass between the arrow and the target
To abstain from food, or eat very little, especially for religious or medical reasons.
* Bible, 2 Sam. xii. 21
* Milton
* 2007 , John Zerzan, Silence , p. 3,
The act or practice of abstaining from food or of eating very little food
The period of time during which one abstains from or eats very little food
* Lent and Ramadan are fasts of two religions.
(obsolete) Any of the plants known as mercury.
(astrology) Someone born under the influence of Mercury.
(often capitalized, see (Mercurial)) Pertaining to the planet Mercury.
(often capitalized, see (Mercurial)) Pertaining to the Roman god Mercury, the god of trade; hence, money-making; crafty..
* J. Q. Adams
(astrology) Born under the influence of the planet Mercury, and having such characteristics.
Of, or pertaining to the element mercury; containing mercury; caused by the action of mercury or quicksilver.
Having a volatile or lively character; quick-witted, changeable, animated.
* 1723 , Charles Walker, Memoirs of Sally Salisbury , I:
Fast is a synonym of mercurial.
As a verb Fast
is .As a noun mercurial is
(obsolete) any of the plants known as mercury.As an adjective mercurial is
(often capitalized, see (mercurial)) pertaining to the planet mercury.Fast
English
(wikipedia fast)Etymology 1
From (etyl) fast, from (etyl) ; see it for cognates and further etymology. The development of “rapid” from an original sense of “secure” apparently happened first in the adverb and then transferred to the adjective; compare (hard) in expressions like “to run hard”. The original sense of “secure, firm” is now slightly archaic, but retained in the related .Adjective
(er)- That rope is dangerously loose. Make it fast !
- outlaws lurking in woods and fast places
- I am going to buy a fast car.
- all this while in a most fast sleep
- All the washing has come out pink. That red tee-shirt was not fast .
- Roses, damask and red, are fast flowers of their smells.
- She's fast – she slept with him on their first date. .
- There must be something wrong with the hall clock. It is always fast .
Synonyms
* (occurring or happening within a short time) quick, rapid, speedy, swift * (capable of moving with great speed) quick, rapid, speedy * (ahead of the correct time or schedule) ahead * (rapidly consents to sexual activity) easy, slutty * (firmly or securely fixed in place) firm, immobile, secure, stable, stuck, tight * (firm against attack) fortified, impenetrable * colour-fast * deep, soundAntonyms
* (occurring or happening within a short time) slow * (ahead of the correct time or schedule) slow, behind * (firmly or securely fixed in place) loose * (firm against attack) penetrable, weak * lightDerived terms
* bedfast * chairfast * fasten (rapid) * fast and furious * fast food * fast-forwardAdverb
(er)Pennies streaming from heaven, passage=Faster than a speeding bit, the internet upended media and entertainment companies. Piracy soared, and sales of albums and films slid. Newspapers lost advertising and readers to websites. Stores selling books, CDs and DVDs went bust. Doomsayers predicted that consumers and advertisers would abandon pay-television en masse in favour of online alternatives.}}
Synonyms
* (quickly) quickly, rapidly, speedily, swiftly * (in a firm or secure manner) firmly, securely, tightly * deeply * (ahead of the correct time or schedule) aheadAntonyms
* (quickly) slowly * (in a firm or secure manner) loosely * lightly * (ahead of the correct time or schedule) behindNoun
(en noun)Synonyms
* (rail transport) express, express train, fast trainAntonyms
* (rail transport) local, slow train, stopperInterjection
(en interjection)Antonyms
* (archery) looseEtymology 2
From (etyl) fasten, from (etyl) . The noun is probably from (etyl) fasta.Verb
(en verb)- Muslims fast during Ramadan.
- Thou didst fast and weep for the child.
- Fasting' he went to sleep, and ' fasting waked.
- It is at the core of the Vision Quest, the solitary period of fasting and closeness to the earth to discover one's life path and purpose.
Noun
(en noun)Synonyms
* (act or practice) fastingDerived terms
* break one's fast * breakfast * fast dayStatistics
*Anagrams
* * * English contranyms English terms with multiple etymologies 1000 English basic words ----mercurial
English
Noun
(en noun)Adjective
(en adjective)- the mercurial wand of commerce
- From the natural Mercurial Briskness of her Temper, a sedentary Life had ever been her Aversion [...].